Judy Krug, who headed the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom from its creation in 1967 has died at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer. As one of the nation’s foremost free speech advocates, Krug played a major role in the establishment of the Freedom to Read Foundation as the First Amendment legal defense arm of the ALA, and served as the Foundation’s executive director since 1969. She was also instrumental in the creation of Banned Books Week and was one of the first voices raised in warning against the threat to reader privacy from the USA Patriot Act.
Judith Platt, director of AAP’s Freedom to Read program, who is currently serving as president of the Freedom to Read Foundation, said: “Judith believed in the power of the ‘community of the book’ and was convinced that when librarians, publishers, booksellers, and authors stand together in defense of intellectual freedom they are unstoppable. She brought out the best in all of us, and I’m proud to have called her my friend.”
From Publishers Weekly.
See Also Related Chicago Tribune Article
ALA American Libraries 1995 Interview with Judy Krug